Issaquah man offers a different future than city plan for Snoqualmie Point

Published 11:31 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

SNOQUALMIE – Over the years, there have been many attempts to improve upon the near perfection of a certain eight acres in the Valley.

But no one ever really got the Point.

The City of Snoqualmie recently approved a site plan for the plot just south of Interstate 90 and Exit 27. Snoqualmie Point Community Park will keep its famous panoramic view of the Valley and open meadows but will see a few additions such as a 120-car parking lot, restrooms, a viewpoint shelter and 500 seats installed in its natural amphitheater.

The plan was adopted following several public hearings wherein residents stated they would like to keep the park small. About $800,000 in grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations and the federal government will make the changes possible.

Still, the fabled site comes with decades of baggage by those who felt it could be “so much more.”

A group of area music promoters, including booking agent David Ammon, recently presented their idea to the city’s Parks Committee. It would include a multipurpose meadows concept instead of a parking lot and the capacity to hold a concert series that could draw and accommodate up to 5,000 people.

Ammon, an Issaquah resident, said he’s been dreaming of just such a facility since he first laid eyes on the park 15 years ago.

“That property has never been allowed to be what it could be. It’s so special it deserves to be made available to the maximum number of people,” Ammon said. “We’re not looking to pave anything over. We want to keep it beautiful naturally.”

Ammon believes if the city bought back some of the land it sold to the Forest Service and cut down several acres of trees, multipurpose meadows would emerge that could be used for weddings, festivals, on-grass parking for concerts and other events that would profit the city.

But Mayor Fuzzy Fletcher said it would be impossible for Snoqualmie to buy back the acreage it sold three years ago for $750,000 (in order to fund the 205 Flood Reduction Project). The city maintained eight acres of the property in conjunction with Mountain to Sound Greenway (MTSG), a conservation group.

“We sold it to save the site for our citizens and visitors alike to have a place to enjoy and look out over the Valley,” Fletcher said. “This deal has been run through council and approved after much study and citizen input along with the parks board and staff.”

He mentioned that large concerts at the park have not been “a good thing” in the past, “even though the city made some money.” Fletcher said the traffic debacle and the complaints about noise from citizens didn’t make it worthwhile in the end.

But Ammon says a 500-seat amphitheater would never get used because there’s not enough parking in the city’s plan and that the city wouldn’t be able to afford a band that could draw 500 people because there wouldn’t be enough ticket sales to pay for the security and other necessities it takes to put on a show for a band of that caliber.

“We want them to leave the amphitheater alone. I think this place could be so special and they’re about to spend money to make it ordinary,” Ammon said. “We’re not talking [about] wild shows, but a series of shows for families.”

If the area had multiple uses, such as separate glades for weddings and events or an area for children or dogs to play, Ammon feels the park would attract more interest, not just from the locals, but from local benefactors.

“If you can create something that creates more options for how it can be used it gives people more options for 365-day a year uses. It makes sense to me and I think it makes sense to the kind of people who give money away,” he said.

Al Frank, parks and recreation director, said the first phase of the city’s plan for the park would cost $100,000, which would include the parking lot and restroom. The city is currently in the process of getting a permit. The second phase would begin in 2006, depending on funds.

Frank said his only concern with Ammon’s idea was the number of acres that would have to be cut down to use for the multi-purpose fields.

“He said he wanted 3,000 parking stalls and one acre can only provide 120 parking stalls,” Frank said. “[Ammon’s idea] sounds pretty good, but usually the weddings want the hillside where the stage is now, they all want the same hill, so it’d be hard to have multiple weddings at the same place.

Ammon said traffic would not be an issue if cars could park on the grass in the park, “especially if it’s only 10 times a year.” The natural amphitheater can seat about 5,000 sitting on blankets on the ground.

Ammon believes some of the under-served music markets, such as Dixieland, Bluegrass, Blues and others would like to play in such an area, and fans of those genres would finally have somewhere to hear it.

“The community part is very important,” Ammon said. “We want the community to be involved. We get that. It’s city property. We aren’t coming in here as the slash and burn developers where we have to make every dime. We want to do something we’re proud of.”

But Fletcher flat out doesn’t think the plan is possible, given what the public has stated it wants for the park and the City of Snoqualmie.

“I think the concept sucks,” Fletcher said. “I think this is a person that wants the city to sell land and allow trees to be cut and wants to throw out a master plan that has been approved by City Council after recommendation by the city parks board and agreed to by the MTSG and the Snoqualmie Tribe, so that he can make a bunch of money for his personal gain.”

Staff Writer Melissa Kruse can be contacted at (425) 888-2311 or by e-mail at melissa.kruse@valleyrecord.com.